Balloon-ballasting weight.



A. PUKOS.

BALLOON BALLASTING WEIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24, I91?- 8 .1 9 a l 6 2 w F M FIG.

alto-mug ANTONI IPUKUS, 0F DEPEW, NEW YORK.

BALLOON-BALLASTING WEIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented m, an, iaia.

Application filed October 24, 1917. Serial No. 198,243.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, AN'roNI PUKos, a citizen of Russia, residing at Depew, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Balloon-Ballasting Weights, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a weight shiftably carried by a balloon and serving as a ballasting and equi-liberating device, whereby the balloon is rendered more stable while floating in the am A further oject of the invention is the provision of a weight adapted to be elevated and lowered from the car of a balloon or like air craft for changing the center of gravity of the air craft as may be found desirable during the changes in the conditions of the wind. 1

A still futher object of the device is the provision of an easy and inexpensive means for assisting the stability of a balloon or like air craft, the device being operable within the car of the air craft but arranged exteriorly thereof, and consuming but little room within the car of the air craft.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a balloon provided with the present device, different positions of-elements being illustrated by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the balloon car and the device carried thereby with parts broken away, and

Fig. 3 is a central horizontal sectional view of the weight member.

My stabilizing device may be employed with different forms of air craft, and is herein illustrated in connection with a balloon 10 having a gas bag 11 and a car 12 suspended therefrom adapted for carrying passengers, the structure forming the present invention being secured to the bottom 13 of the car.

A weight 14 preferably spherical in form is suspended centrally beneath the bottom of the car 12 by being axially mounted upon a threaded turn-shaft 15 journaled as at 16 through said bottom 13 and having a stopnut 17 at its lower end. The upper unthreaded end portion 18 of the shaft 15 probe apparent, as the turning of the shaft 15 by means of the wheel 19 as heretofore set forth will move the weight 14; longitudinally of the shaft 15 by reason of the fact that the rods 20 prevent any revolving of the weight 14:. The weight may be normally arranged elevated adjacent the car bottom 13 as illustrated by dotted lines at 1i but in rough weather and during strong winds, when the ballon 10 has a tendency to tip and plunge, in the air, the wheel 19 is turned for lowering the weight 14 to any desired position, such as its extreme lowered position herein illustrated at 14:". It will be understood that the changing of the weight 1 1 alters the center of gravity of the air craft as the occasion may require. In this manner the weight 14 serves as an equiliberator for the air craft.

What I claim as new is 1. In combination with the car of an air craft, a threaded shaft journaled through the bottom of the car, a turn wheel for the shaft arranged within the car, a spherical weightthreaded upon the shaft, a stop-nut for the weight at the lower end of the shaft, and guide rods carried by the bottom of the car freely extending through the said weight.

2. A ballasting device for balloons comprising a threaded shaft journaled through the bottom of the car of the balloon, a turnwheel upon the upper unthreaded end of the shaft, within the car, a stop-nut upon the lower free end of the shaft beneath the car, a weight threaded for longitudinal movement upon the shaft arranged with parallel openings therethrough, and guide rods attached to the turn-shaft and freely positioned through the said openings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANTONT PUKOS.

topical of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D J 

